


crescent

by Accker



Series: Raging Wars [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Ben Solo Doesn't Turn to the Dark Side, Angst, Armitage Hux Has Issues, Blood and Injury, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Nightmares, Past Poe Dameron/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Protective Rey (Star Wars), Rey Solo, Smuggler Ben Solo, Smut, Violence, Virgin Ben Solo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-02-01
Packaged: 2019-03-10 04:11:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13494788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Accker/pseuds/Accker
Summary: Star Wars AUa sister is both your mirror and your opposite.





	1. Chapter 1

 

 

>                            **H** e feels the sting of sand inside of his eyes. BB-8 makes a loud beeping sound by his side and moves forward until its small metallic body collides with Ben's and he falls into the sand once more. Again, the beeping noise continues and Ben groans. He can taste the sand; it tastes like a thousand little pieces of a stone rolling around, with a slightly salty touch to it and a hint of earth.
> 
> “I know,” he says and doesn't turn his head to see what is left of his ship. Instead, he cracks his eyes open and sees the milk-white sky that seems like it's falling down. He is too familiar with the blueness of Chandrila that his breath catches inside of his throat and for a moment he ignores the demanding noises the small droid makes as it moves around in nervous circles.
> 
> “Come back, BB-8,” Ben Organa calls once he comes back to himself and brushes away the dirt from his clothes. His knees dully sting and he can feel as blood drip out of the ugly cut that runs across his cheek. His hair is dumped in sweat and the sand left his mouth dry. “Hey!” BB-8 refuses to come close enough so he can touch it, but the beeping sounds less aggressive now when the droid detects the blood on Ben's skin.
> 
> Ben's seen desert only briefly before, once when he was a younger boy and his father took him on one of his trips as he used to call them. He can remember heaviness of the hot air and lack of green. It fascinated him then and it certainly does now, though he is not a little boy anymore and his father isn't there. As he finds his balance, the last reminders of Ben's ship collapse under its weight and he hears the loud explosion that sends the sand flying into the air.
> 
> He groans and watches as the fire catches. The smoke is rising towards the clear sky and its dark grey colors create ugly marks on the endless white. The last reminders of the smell of flowers vanish and instead, Ben finds himself breathing hot desert air that burns its way into his lungs. His stomach clenches and his eyes water.
> 
> BB-8 makes a sound, _I told you so,_ and rolls towards him. His metal structure is the only thing that keeps Ben from overheating and it's growing warm too. He pats the droid on its head and signs.
> 
> “I am sorry,” he whispers and doesn't mean it. He can tell that BB-8 knows it. “Leia will murder me.”
> 
> There's not much of an answer, only a single beep that confirms those words.
> 
> Ben keeps track on the sky as he moves forward. The smoke is gone, has been for hours now. He carries not many of his personal possessions, only a lightsaber tucked behind his pants and his sister's bracelet with a small blue crystal she found on her own and gifted him. He squeezes it and lets his fingers brush its surface. It's a painful reminder of Rey.
> 
> “I know she's gone,” he tells BB-8 and tries to keep his voice cheerful. He licks his lips. “I know she loved me.” The Force is strong in his family – his mother has it, his uncle has it and so does his sister, very much unlike him. “She'll return someday,” he adds and BB-8 slightly turns his head and bow forward as if he wants to agree but Ben can hear the insecurity inside of his own voice.
> 
> He walks faster at that. In this hopeless situation, he thinks of his mother. Leia used to tell him that hope exists, touched the place just above his heart. “There too,” she's always said fondly and kissed his cheek with soft warm lips. That touch lingers on his skin long after he grows up. He repeats those words, but never quite believes them. He's never had to.
> 
> Every time Ben lets his eyes wander, he sees nothing but endless fields of sand. As much as it was intriguing at the beginning, it's starting to get to him. With BB-8 as his only companion, his knees become weak and his throat hurts anytime he gulps. He finally pushes the heavy helmet from his head and stares at the symbol of Resistance at the side, brushes it tenderly with the tip of his finger. His hair glues on his forehead and drops of sweat mix with blood. The cut on his cheek still hurts and he doesn't want to touch it in fear he might infect it.
> 
> His clothes are simple, dark grey and not in nearest reminding anyone he could belong to Resistance. The cloth is thin at least. It would have been worse if he landed in the desert in the heavy coat and boots. He feels the hot breeze that combs through his hair and hits his uncovered cheeks. The grains of sand sting inside of his eyes.
> 
> BB-8 comes to rest against his leg.
> 
> “We are lost, aren't we?” Ben asks him and kicks the sand to the side.
> 
> The sound that droid makes reminds him quiet request,  _we should return home._ Ben shakes his head and holds the helmet tighter. “We cannot, buddy,” he tells him and moves forward again. He is a man on the mission to conquer each and every one of stars.
> 
> “We don't have a home anymore,” he adds to which BB-8 only makes a disagreement sound. His small metal body moves along with the force of Ben's steps. Ben could leave him here, but he doesn't. This is the last companion he has, the last one he can trust.
> 
> He knows he should throw away the helmet, but while no one's watching, the dead weight in his hands reminds him who he is. Who he  _was,_  he corrects himself and kicks his way through the sand.
> 
> His father was right, Jakku is the end of the world. There weren't many places he could land on, but as it seems, not only that leaving the Resistance wasn't his rock bottom, he apparently underestimated his own determination and brought himself a pickaxe and was prepared to dig. During the years his mother called this place simply  _lost,_  his father and uncle admitted that once you got in here, there was no way out.
> 
> Ben stills when he spots a metal construction rising from the sand and before he knows it, he's running down the hills with BB-8 closely following him with the sounds of loud beeping. The sand gets into his shoes and under his clothes, inside of his hair too and when he stops running, the helmet is filled till the top. He drops to his knees and touches the metal, hisses as it burns under his fingers from the sun.
> 
> “It's a ship,” he whispers in awe and looks at BB-8 before he starts to push the sand aside so he can get a better look, but soon his hands still and smile is wiped out from his face. With a shaking hand, he touches the uncovered symbol and tries to remember how many places he saw it before, encircles the rusty edges with wariness and presses them against the metal.
> 
> “Imperium,” he whispers and he and BB-8 share a look. He's heard stories of the war his parents took part in. By the time he and his sister were born, the galaxy was freed from its reign. But not everything was wiped away. The old ships, documents, and memories, that all remained scattered around the universe, here on Jakku – buried under the piles of sand. He could dig an entire army from underneath it, Ben is sure. It fascinates him to see the remains of once powerful fleet rusting at the end of the world.
> 
> He leans against his heels and rests his palms on the ground. “This whole place is dead,” he tells and looks around, observes never-ending piles of sand. There are no trees, no animals. He cannot see birds in the sky. It's quiet here too. The silence is what Ben finds unsettling. He stands up and kicks angrily into the remains of the ship. The anger rolls from him in waves. He looks at the helmet and lets out a long groan.
> 
> BB-8 muzzles his side. He reminds him his uncle Chewie, a hairy beast with kind eyes. “I know you're angry with me,” Ben mumbles at last and pushes the hair out of his face. “But I cannot return back. I want to be more than just Rey's brother.”
> 
> He doesn't want to show his pain, but it pulses through his voice. BB-8 warily watches him.
> 
> _You are more than that,_ BB-8 would say but he doesn't and it only makes Ben angry.
> 
> “I AM!” he roars and stares at the small droid with dark eyes and open mouth. He can barely breathe, barely speak but he continues his attack. “Leia wanted more of me. I don't need to read minds to see that. And with Rey gone…” his voice trails off and he pauses. BB-8 gives him enough time to collect himself. “I'll return one day, to tell her how sorry I am.”
> 
> BB-8 is quiet and unmoving for a long time. Ben narrows his eyes and the robot makes a buzzing noise.
> 
> Danger, is all as Ben can understand and before he can react, the ground shakes under his feet and he falls on his back, breathes sand as it falls on him and covers his clothes like a blanket. His fingers reach across to catch the droid and hold him close but he cannot find him. Ben pushes himself forward and coughs with his eyes wide-opened.
> 
> When he looks up again, he can see the shadow in the sky, a ship above their heads. BB-8 rolls towards him and they both recognize it immediately. Ben opens his mouth to speak, but those words catch up inside of his throat. He knows ships, he's seen many before. He reaches for the helmet and holds it in his hands. “There is a hope too,” his mother used to say to him, touching the special place right above his heart. But Ben doesn't believe it, he knows that hope won't save him if the First Order finds him.
> 
>  
> 
> *   *   *
> 
>  
> 
> BB-8 follows him closely.
> 
> Ben his kneeling in the warm sand and spies the ship. The sun is trapped in its perfect steel, bright and hot and blinding in the broad daylight. It reminds him stars he saw during his fall.  _He should stop right here,_  Ben tells himself but doesn't move, instead, he remains compelled. The fear swells deep inside of his chest and the breathing becomes harder. He chased it through the desert, watched it with his feet planted on the ground. He hears as BB-8 makes a high-pitched sound of disagreement.
> 
> Ben licks his cracked bleeding lips and looks at the droid. “Look,” he prompts him. “Look how beautiful the ship is.” It's true, the metal walls remind him a polished glass. They are black against the sand and the ship doesn't belong to this place. When Ben looks around, he sees houses that are made of glued pieces of trash, ground covered in metal pieces.
> 
> BB-8 disagrees less politely.
> 
> The ramp begins to descent and the dust rises from the ground. The world freezes around them and Ben taste the rising tension on his tongue. The side of his face is sticky with blood.
> 
> Stormtroopers run out like an army of ants. They hold their guns pointed and fingers ready to pull the trigger. He cannot see their faces, they are hidden under white masks without expressions. The last one to come out is a creature in black. Her robes are dancing around her feet and just like her army, the monster wears a mask too.
> 
> Under the clothes has to hide a person with slim waist and legs like sticks, Ben notices as the fear fills his mouth and he tastes the blood from his lips. The robes only make the monster broader. He watches as the army moves through the town as if they are looking for something and when they return back to their commander with empty hands, he sees the light of the lightsaber that cuts through the hot desert air. A woman is brought forward, slim like a piece of paper. Her skin is dark, her eyes blue and filled with fear.
> 
> She opens her mouth to speak but no words escape.
> 
> Ben quietly marches forward and rolls down the hills of sand. He is good at being unseen. BB-8 follows him quietly and for once the droid has nothing to say. They both observe the ship, the Stormtroopers with their blasters.
> 
> Finally, Ben can hear the woman's voice.
> 
> His eyes skip past the crowd that gathered and he wonders why no one moves to help her.
> 
> “I don't know,” the woman chokes out another sob and presses her palms against the hot sand. Ben can see tears rolling down her cheeks as she is kneeling. Her hair is freely falling down and covering her shoulders. “Please,” she adds.
> 
> The commander comes forward. His steps are quiet like a whispering of the wind and he holds a lightsaber in his hands. His grasp is tight, if he wasn't wearing gloves his fingers might turn white.
> 
> “You know,” he insists with his face hidden behind the mask. Ben imagines his eyes, red and hungry, terrifying. He raises his hand and woman's body moves against her will. She arches her back ad blood stars to drip from her nose. She screams and that sound goes right through Ben's ears. He shuts his eyes closed and counts before he opens them again.
> 
> The screaming stops and the woman drop to her knees. She is panting. “I don't know who you are looking for,” she repeats and her voice turns into a soft whisper. “No one came. No one is here.” She doesn't add please this time. She won't beg.
> 
> “Do you know who I am?” the commander asks and no one moves.
> 
> “I do,” woman nods and her body shakes. “Kylo Ren,” she says that name and Ben blinks. BB-8 shakes by his side. He should leave. He should hide and wait till the First Order leaves. But he can't.
> 
> Just as Kylo Ren raises his lightsaber, the woman's face drowns in the red light. She knows what is coming and she closes her eyes.
> 
> Ben marches forward and screams. BB-8 makes a sound of panic but it's too late to stop him.
> 
> “Hey!”
> 
> The heads turn to him and the lightsaber stops in the air. Every blaster is pointed at Ben. He sees as Kylo Ren turns around. His shoulders are tense but Ben cannot read his expression.
> 
> He waves his hands in the air instead. “Hey!” he repeats loudly and walks forward. “I know what you're looking for.”
> 
> There a pause, silence that stretches over them. “What is it?”
> 
> Kylo's voice is mechanic and holds no emotion. The woman openly sobs on the ground and her whole body shakes. Ben licks his lips before he answers and hears as BB-8 joins him.
> 
> “Me,” he tells.
> 
> “Why would I need you?”
> 
> Kylo Ren cocks his head to the side and though his tone doesn't change, it reminds him quiet teasing. Ben considers his answer. His hands slid back behind his back in almost casual movement and he smiles. He takes out a lightsaber and shows it to him.
> 
> “It belonged to Luke Skywalker,” he says.
> 
> “How can I know you're not lying?”
> 
> “Come and look closer.” Ben knows it's a risk. He stretches his hand out as Kylo Ren makes the first move. “Unless you're scared.” It makes him walk faster. Ben can see the anger in every movement he makes.
> 
> And just before Ren gets a chance to touch it, Ben activates it. The light cuts through the cloth of Ren's sleeve and break the skin. He hears as the other man hisses and in the next moment he finds himself on the ground. The invisible power is holding him down, presses against his throat. Ben bares his teeth and with his spare hand finds a rock on the ground. He blindly throws it.
> 
> BB-8 is right by his side when the Force lets him go free for a second and he doesn't waste his time. He pushes himself back on his feet and runs, holding his uncle's lightsaber as if his life depended on it. He can hear screams in the distance and Kylo Ren's voice.
> 
> “Bring him to me,” he yells and chases after Ben who runs through the sand. His clothes are sweaty and he can barely see. The blood rushes into his ears. He knows he doesn't have a chance. Not without a ship to fly away on.
> 
> Yet he yells when Force hits him in the back and fights it. BB-8 refuses to move without him. The droid is loyal if anything else. He makes low sounds of desperation.
> 
> Kylo Ren is breathing heavily when it's over. The sleeve of his tunic is soaked in blood and his right hand is ugly wounded. The cut would make a fine scar, but an ugly reminder of being fooled by Ben. Ben sees the lightsaber in his hands, pointed at him. He doesn't raise his own.
> 
> “Come on,” he rasps out and lets the hot air inside of his mouth. “COME ON!” He is not ready to die.
> 
> “The Force is strong with you,” Kylo Ren whispers and comes closer. “I can sense it.”
> 
> “I am not Force-sensitive,” Ben opposes him. He spits out blood. The sand is scratching his skin. “I never will be.” He kicks his legs and tries to move. He would rather die on his feet than kneeling. Suddenly he feels like that woman but his cheeks aren't wet from tears. The desperation steals air from his lungs. He breathes harshly.
> 
> Kylo Ren is quietly observing him. Ben wonders why isn't he dead yet. Ren didn't hesitate face to face with that woman, but now he doesn't even raise his sword. Soon the Stormtroopers encircle them and their blasters are pointed at his head.
> 
> “What is your name?” Ren asks him almost too casually.
> 
> “I don't have a name,” Ben lies.
> 
> The Force presses against his mind when Ren repeats the question. It's a silent threat. It doesn't push in yet. “Benjamin,” he hisses through the clenched teeth and gives no surname. “I am no one.”
> 
> He almost expects Kylo Ren to call him a liar. He sees as lightsaber rises into the air and Ben feels its heat upon his skin. So this is how it ends. BB-8 shakes next to him and Ben is half-tempted to tell him last goodbye. The sun is high in the sky.
> 
> But no pain comes. His eyes cracks open just to see as Ren's fingers tighten around the hilt and then the light is gone. His own lightsaber is a dead weight in his hand when one of the Stormtroopers takes it from him and another two make him stand up. His legs are shaking and he tastes blood on his lips.
> 
> “Why?” he rasps out. He cannot remember if he heard a story of Kylo Ren taking a prisoner and it scares him more than the possibility of dying. BB-8 hisses and turns his head around, but doesn't fight when he's taken too.
> 
> Kylo Ren doesn't answer. He looks at Ben's lightsaber and hums.
> 
> “It truly belonged to Luke Skywalker,” he says. “Wonders one hardly ever sees.” He raises his masked face. “Take him aboard of  _Finalizer,_ ” he commands to the Stormtroopers. “Take that droid too and inform Hux.”
> 
> Ben feels as his breath catches in his throat. He is dragged. He cannot walk.
> 
> “What about the inhabitants, sir?” one of the Stormtroopers asks.
> 
> Ben swears he can hear the smirk in Ren's voice as he answers. “Kill them.”


	2. Chapter 2

 

> The platform flickers to life.
> 
>   Hux lowers his hand and puts the glass of his drink on the counter before he crosses the room just in time to meet the shivering hologram as it resolves into the form of Kylo Ren. He grits his teeth in annoyance due to disturbance.
> 
>   “What is it?” he snaps his question and folds his arms. He is stripped of his greatcoat and his hair freely falls on his forehead. He is prepared to sleep, follows the routine like he always does.
> 
>   Ren's face flickers and all he can is a mask that covers her features. “Your uniform is missing,” she points out. “General.” Even though her voice sounds metallic he can sense the edge of teasing.
> 
>   “Anything else you may point out with your extraordinary powers?” he chins out and smooths his shirt. He can still taste rich whiskey on the tip of his tongue and with the corner of his eyes, he longingly looks at the glass far from his reach.
> 
>   “I am coming back from Jakku,” she tells him.
> 
>   He doesn't sense the hesitation at first, or maybe he does but he chooses to ignore it. “You could tell me tomorrow,” he complains. “It's been a long day, Ren, so if you excuse me…” his voice trails off and he takes a step back with the intension of ending the conversation. He is only briefly aware of what Ren did on Jakku, heard the news of slaughter. Wherever she moved, she caused only death and trouble.
> 
>   “Hux!” she calls and it prevents him from ignoring her completely.
> 
>   “Are you expecting me to congratulate you?” Hux asks her. He wonders if she thinks of this as some kind of game. He turns to face her again, covered from the head to tip of her toes in black robes and notices bandages around her hand for the first time. He narrows his eyes. “You were injured.”
> 
>   “It's nothing,” Ren complains weakly and waves her hand. “I got Skywalker's lightsaber.”
> 
>   “Your collection is complete then,” Hux snickers. “What is it you want from me?” He knows that even she isn't such naïve to give him a call about finishing her hunt after the Jedi artifacts. He patiently waits for her to answer. He prides himself as a patient man and so he presses his lips into a thin line and watches as she paces.
> 
>   “Do you remember your depth?” she asks suddenly.
> 
>   “Excuse me…” He cannot believe his ears.
> 
>   “I helped you and you owe me,” she continues and Hux wants to laugh. He's never thought of it before.
> 
>   “I did,” he says uncertainly. “Is this what's it been about? You need me to do you a favor?” Hux clicks his tongue. “What do you need?” He can see she's desperate because otherwise, she would wait.
> 
>   “I found someone on Jakku,” she says.
> 
> Hux isn't surprised. “You were meant to,” he answers and lets out a sigh. “Ren, I dislike your little games. I am tired and it's late and some of us have work to do. I have a ship to run, without or with your presence.”
> 
>   He closes his eyes.
> 
>   “I cannot tell Snoke,” she reveals.
> 
>   Hux cracks his eyes open in stunned silence. “You cannot…” He doesn't finish that sentence, he doesn't need to. “Have you lost your mind?” he hisses and if she was right next to him, he might kill her on the spot with his bare hands.
> 
>   But Ren isn't joking. She doesn't laugh. Her shoulders are tense. She is wearing a mask because she knows her face would betray her. “I need to keep this for myself.”
> 
>   “Then why don't you?” he asks. “Jakku is practically the end of the world, no one would come looking there for him…” And that's when it hits him and Hux feels stupid. “You brought this someone with yourself, didn't you?”
> 
>   He cannot see her face, but he knows she is looking anywhere but his eyes. She is guilty. “There are things you don't understand, General. I am asking for this favor because you owe me.”
> 
>   “Explain it to me then.”
> 
>   “I cannot.” She doesn't trust him. He wouldn't trust her either. He scowls and returns for his drinks. Hux sips the whiskey while he keeps looking at Ren and taps his fingers against the glass.
> 
>   “Who is it then? I assume I deserve to know at least that much.”
> 
>   “It's a boy.”
> 
> She doesn't say anything else and he suspects it's over for her. Ren only waits for him to confirm he would keep her secret safe. “Fine,” he tells her and cocks his head to the side. “But afterward you'll owe me one.”
> 
>   Ren slowly nods. “If that's what you want.”
> 
>   “I require it,” he answers immediately.
> 
>   “Very well,” Ren answers with tension crawling into her metallic voice. “He cannot know, Hux. Promise me.”
> 
>   “I promise.” Hux is a man of his word. He watches as the hologram flinches and Ren disappears. He is all alone again. Without a word, he crosses the room and finds his DataPad. He sends Phasma an urgent message, a command. He demands to know who is the boy Ren captured and why is he brought on his ship. After it's done he sits in his armchair and crosses his ankles.
> 
>   He sips his drink with a smile tainting his lips.
> 
>  
> 
> *  *  *
> 
>  
> 
> He misses BB-8.
> 
>   Just like him, the droid is lost somewhere on the board and just like Ben, he must feel lonely. He tells that to a man who comes to clean the ugly cut on his cheek. “I want to see him,” he demands in a hoarse voice.
> 
>   “I am not in a position to fulfill your wishes,” Mitaka shakes his head. “There will be a scar.” His touch is light, almost as if he doesn't want to touch the prisoner and his eyes remain distant.
> 
>   “I know,” Ben harshly jerks back. “And I don't care.”
> 
> The dark-haired man signs and pushes himself from the place where's Ben sitting. “I cannot help you,” he says and his voice turns honest. “But you can ask General. He may make a deal with you.”
> 
>   “I have nothing to offer,” Ben gulps and Mitaka narrows his eyes, clearly not believing that at all. He takes away the bandages and straightens his uniform with one well-practiced movement.
> 
>   “You have to know something,” he says and then looks around, carefully as if he was afraid of something before he continues with wariness in his tone. “Kylo Ren brought you here for a reason. You must be valuable, otherwise…”
> 
>   Ben feels as his stomach drops. He is well aware what it means. He knows what happened on Jakku, the sounds of firing blasters still ring in his ears. He licks the blood from his lips and curls into himself under Mitaka's careful watch. All he can see is sand colored in shades of red.
> 
>   “He made a mistake,” Ben whispers.
> 
>   “Unlikely.”
> 
> Ben raises his head. “Thank you,” he says and his throat hurts. His clothes smell after smoke and sweat. His hair is still damp and he is growing cold between the four walls of his cell. He can hear the buzzing of the motors underneath his feet.
> 
>   “Don't,” Mitaka plainly says. “I didn't save you. You'll understand later.” He walks out of the room and the doors quietly close behind his back. Ben stares at them for a while, suddenly aware that he has no one to turn to.
> 
>   With shaking fingers he touches the bracelet tightly tied around his wrist and thinks of Rey. The crystal is warm under his fingers, it reminds him warm weather and grass under his bare feet. It reminds him home, wherever it may be.
> 
>   Ben closes his eyes and rests his head against the wall. Chills run down his spine and the ship is singing him a soft lullaby. When he dreams, he dreams of his uncle, trapped in the sand, calling for Ben. He sees his parents, both dead in the snow and his sister, Rey with gentle brown eyes as she reaches for him. He knows she's not real. In his dreams, she still looks like a little girl, though she had to grow up by now. He hasn't seen her in ten years and he wonders if her hair is still long or if she cut them short.
> 
>   He breathes cold air and watches as the world around him collapses. When he was a young boy, he used to wake up from the nightmares about the monster on its dark throne. He hasn't dreamt about him in years. The last thing he sees is Kylo Ren, dressed in his dark robes and wielding his lightsaber as he marches forward with an army of Stormtroopers closely following him. Ben is waiting for Ren to come, he spread his arms and smiles, lets the darkness cover his whole body until he cannot breathe anymore.
> 
>   The next time he wakes up, he is panting. His eyes crack open and the first thing he sees is bare walls that are closing around him. He leans forward and pushes his knees to his chest and observes the empty cell. He starts counting and as the numbers grow, no one comes. He tenses every time he hears a louder sound only to realize it's his own beating heart.
> 
>   The cut across his cheek stings, but the pain is dull. Ben's thoughts keep him awake for next few days. He loses the ability to tell how long he's been kept this alone. After some time he starts to wonder if someone is watching his shaking form on the floor. Maybe this is their move, bring him to his knees and make him lose his mind before they'll come to get him.
> 
>   After the third night without BB-8's company, Ben can hear the beeping sounds anywhere. There are dark circles under his eyes and blood on his chin from biting his lips so hard for so long. On the fourth day, he buries his face in his arms and closes his eyes. When he sleeps, he sees his family, when he doesn't he wishes he could stay awake forever.
> 
>   On the fifth day, the doors open again. Ben doesn't raise his head immediately, instead, he remains in the curled position in the back of the room. He hears the click of boots against the floor.
> 
>   “Does he have a name?” a voice asks and it takes him a moment to realize, that it wasn't question pointed at him.
> 
>   The answer comes in the form of mumbling.
> 
>   “What was that?” the voice sounds harsh. It's not Mitaka, who spoke with manners and who refused Ben's thanks.
> 
>   “I don't know, sir.”
> 
> There is a moment of silence. When the voice speaks again, the words are directed to Ben. The harsh tone is gone, instead Ben detect an icy remark. “Boy. Show yourself.”
> 
>   There is a pause, the decision he has to make. Ben sits up and he meets a pair of blue eyes that send chills running down his spine. He doesn't say anything, he doesn't have to.
> 
>   “Do you have a name?” The man who is speaking to him is only a few inches shorter, though one can hardly notice that. His face is pale, his chin raised high. Ben finds himself staring at man's hair, unnaturally red. They are pushed out of his face which only brings out the sharpness of his features.
> 
>   “I'll not ask again.”
> 
> Ben hears the treat in his voice.
> 
>   “Benjamin,” he says and uncurls himself. “Who are you?”
> 
> The woman behind the man's back looks at Ben with shock in her eyes. His question is honest.
> 
>   “It's not important now,” the man says and sounds bored. The light quickly disappears from his eyes. “What am I supposed to do with him?” he asks and that question is addressed to himself, nevertheless, the woman answers.
> 
>   “Find out what he knows, sir.”
> 
> Her big blue eyes remind Ben of oceans. She is wearing the same kind of uniform as Mitaka did.
> 
>   “I am aware, Unamo,” the man hums and fleches his fingers. “But there won't be much to say. He is hardly in a position to say more than one word and I am not in the mood to talk with wounded animals. Ren made a mistake. He brought here another child.” His lips lift up into an ugly smirk. “Is there anything you can tell me?”
> 
>   Ben licks his lips.
> 
>   “I want to see BB-8,” he says and pushes himself forward until he finds his balance and stands up.
> 
>   “The droid is gone,” the man waves his hand. “What do you know about Resistance?”
> 
>   “He is not,” Ben barks out. His face turns crimson. “I know a liar when I see one.”
> 
> The man says nothing, he quietly slips closer and folds hand behind his back. “You uncovered my lie,” he remarks. “Now answer the question.” His eyes warn Ben, that there is another unpleasant way of making him speak.
> 
>   “My mother taught not to speak with people whose names I don't know,” he resists.
> 
>   “General Hux,” the man says but doesn't give Ben his arm so he can shake it. Ben blinks.
> 
>   “You are too young for a general.”
> 
>   “And you are too young to make a fool of Kylo Ren.” He doesn't smile, but Ben can see it inside of his eyes. “Here we stand, Benjamin. What can you tell me about Resistance?”
> 
>   “Not much,” Ben lies. “I know they fight against the First Order.”
> 
>   “What do the people say about them?” Hux wonders. “Where are you from?”
> 
>   “Nowhere,” Ben swiftly answers.
> 
>   “Where are you from?” Hux cocks his head to the side. His face remains stone cold. “I know a liar when I see one,” he repeats Ben's previous remark.
> 
>   “Jakku.” It takes all Ben's willpower to keep his face empty. His mother once taught him that faces are like guns pointed at the faces of the others. She's always known how to pull the trigger and Ben has to learn the same. With the tips of his fingers he touches his sister's bracelet and almost immediately feels her presence. He wishes she could be here with him.
> 
>   “You had Luke Skywalker's lightsaber,” Hux prompts him to continue. “That is hardly something you find lying in the sand.”
> 
>   “I stole it from a man. He told us he found that in one of the Imperial ships scattered around the planet. There are many of them, wrecks buried under the sand or crashed in caves under the ground. I heard the stories about the Jedi Master and I wanted to own something he owned before me.”
> 
>   Hux says nothing until he does. “Why would Kylo Ren bring you here?” he asks. “I don't understand. You are no one.”
> 
> Ben bites the inner side of his cheek and the General taps his fingers against his wrist. He is looking through Ben, he doesn't focus. Why should he, Benjamin was born on Jakku and his parents or family are most likely dead.
> 
>   “I don't know,” Ben says stubbornly. “I told you everything I know, now I want to see BB-8. Kylo Ren is not my problem. He is yours.”
> 
>   “She,” corrects him Hux. “Kylo Ren is she, not he.” He clearly enjoys Ben's confusion. “Are you a thief?” he asks almost casually instead of continuing.
> 
>   “Yes.” But he isn't. The only thing he's ever stolen was a ship to run away from his mother. He crashed it into Jakku.
> 
>   “Where is your family, if you have any?”
> 
> Ben's breath catches. “Dead,” he says slowly. “Buried on Jakku. They died when I was a little boy. Do you want to unbury them, general?” He finally finds the courage to mock, but Hux doesn't seem to be affected.
> 
>   “I believe you,” though he sounds anything like that.
> 
>   “BB-8-“
> 
> Hux raises his hand to cut him off. “Yes, your precious droid. I have a proposition for you, Benjamin.” He clicks his tongue and his eyes turn darker. He looks like a hunter coming after his prey.
> 
>   “You do something for me, I do something for you.”
> 
>   “You'll bring me to BB-8?” he asks carefully. He knows he is damned. “You'll let me be with him.”
> 
>   “Yes,” Hux nods. He looks like anything but honest.
> 
>   “What is it?” Ben's voice shakes. He doesn't try to hide it and sees the smirk forming on Hux's lips. They are close, closer than they should be. Hux watches him. There is light inside of his eyes, easily to be mistaken for mercy. But Hux is not a merciful man.
> 
>   “I need you to steal something for me,” the General whispers and Ben gulps.
> 
>  
> 
> *  *  *
> 
>  
> 
> The boy refuses to speak.
> 
>   He is fairly young. His dark hair covers the paleness of his face and his brown eyes occasionally land on anyone who comes close enough to be seen. Hux avoid meeting him for days and give orders to keep the boy isolated. Ren seemingly doesn't care about his fate either, because she disappears into her room without much as saying a word, which only intrigues Hux's curiosity.
> 
>   “There is nothing to find about him,” Phasma tells him on the third day. “Simply nothing. A boy like this one seemingly doesn't even exist.”
> 
> It's a quick observation to make, especially since Hux knows that Jakku is the end of the world. Looking for a boy called Benjamin was pointless while he knew they would never find anything. He plays a game of patience and buries himself in work. He answers only when Snoke calls him on the fourth day but keeps his word and never mentions the boy in his presence.
> 
>   Ren doesn't say anything, but he knows she is thankful.
> 
>   He enjoys this because finally, he has leverage, something to move her in his direction when the moment comes. For now, he protects the boy by silence and ignorance but he sends someone to check on his wounds.
> 
>   “He'll be alright,” says the Mitaka when he returns. “There'll be most likely a scar, but the boy will live.”
> 
> Hux doesn't feel relief when he hears that.
> 
>   On the seventh day, the boy speaks for the first time.
> 
>   “I want to see BB-8,” he demands, not requests like the prisoners usually do and his dark eyes stubbornly refuse to answer any of Phasma or Mitaka's questions. He curls himself into the ball and quietly stares at the wall. Benjamin taps his fingers against his leg and anytime he opens his mouth, he wants to see his droid, unharmed and returned back.
> 
>   “You should take it from here,” he tells Ren when he catches her in the middle of her training. She stares at him blindly.
> 
>   “What do you mean?” she asks.
> 
>   “He is your responsibility.”
> 
>   “No,” she shakes her head. “He's yours. You keep your mouth shut, not me. You want him to talk, then go to him and ask.” Her tone turns deadly and Hux grits his teeth in fear he might rip her throat.
> 
>   “The only thing keeping him safe is my protection,” Hux says.
> 
>   “Your word, General,” Ren reminds him and huffs her breath. “It still means something. You gave it to me and I am to trust you in this. I brought him here because I know there is more to him than meets the eyes. If you want to ask your own questions, go on. I am not standing in your way.”
> 
>   Hux disbelievingly stares at her.
> 
>   “Is it truly that simple? I'll break him.”
> 
>   “I don't believe that,” she states with a sad smile. “He may not be strong with Force, but he isn't weak.”
> 
>   “Force doesn't win wars,” he reminds her like he always does. “Armies do. And I have one, unlike you.”
> 
> Ren shrugs. “Maybe you should return him the droid.”
> 
>   “Are you mad?” Hux grasps. “I am not negotiating with him having nothing to offer.”
> 
> But he goes to the boy, watches him quietly.
> 
>   Wonders what is so special about him when Benjamin asks him to give him his droid back. “I have an offer for you,” slips past Hux's lips before he can stop himself. He knows a liar when he sees one and the boy is lying about being a thief. Benjamin's hands shake a little.
> 
>   “I need you to steal something for me,” Hux continues and crosses the room and sits on the chair in the corner, crosses his ankles and watches as the boy struggle. He knows he won.
> 
>   “What is that?”
> 
> Benjamin tries to act brave. Hux finds it naïve but says nothing. The boy is already braver than most who come across Hux. He can appreciate it later. There is no point in causing harm to this boy; Hux is sure that Ren wouldn't be pleased. She sent him to ask questions, not to break bones. It was her specialty after all.
> 
>   “Are you afraid, Benjamin?” he asks. “You are shaking.” The boy refuses to say yes, but Hux can see it written all over his face.
> 
>   “I am not.”
> 
> Hux smiles. “Maybe there is more about you than it meets the eye,” he muses. “Maybe she was right after all.” He snaps his fingers. “You don't need to be afraid of me,” he says honestly. “You are a prisoner now, and trust me or not, you'd need someone to assure you won't end buried on Jakku next to your family.”
> 
>   It's not a threat, it's a truth. Plain and simple.
> 
>  
> 
>  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally back :)


End file.
